Navigation system with user generated content mechanism and method of operation thereof

ABSTRACT

A method of operation of a navigation system includes: receiving a change request with a proposed change for an item; verifying a validity of the change request based on a confidence level meeting or exceeding a change threshold with a control unit; and updating a target element of the item based on the validity of the proposed change for avoiding an incorrect update to the target element for displaying on a device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/578,158 filed Oct. 13, 2009, and the subject matter thereof is herebyincorporated herein by reference thereto.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to a navigation system, and moreparticularly to a system for navigation system with user generatedcontent.

BACKGROUND ART

Modern portable consumer and industrial electronics provide increasinglevels of functionality to support modern life including location-basedinformation services. This is especially true for client devices such asnavigation systems, cellular phones, portable digital assistants, andmultifunction devices.

As users adopt mobile location-based service devices, new and old usagebegin to take advantage of this new device space. There are manysolutions to take advantage of this new device opportunity. One existingapproach is to use location information to provide navigation services,such as a global positioning service (GPS) navigation system for amobile device.

Navigation system and service providers are continually makingimprovement in the user's experience in order to be competitive. Innavigation services, demand for better usability by providing additionalinformation is increasingly important. To provide additionalinformation, some navigation systems and services allow the creation anddistribution of user generated content (UGC). UGC can includeinformation entered by users to supplement what is provided by theservice provider.

UGC can include a wide variety of useful information. For example, UGCcan include information about a point of interest. Information couldinclude a point of interest for a restaurant and include informationsuch address, phone number, menu items, ratings, or any combinationthereof The creation and editing of UGC is generally unregulated anduncontrolled, so UGC must be verified and validated in terms of accuracybefore being fully accepted and distributed in the navigation system.Because of the large amount of UGC created by users, an automatedverification method is an important, yet challenging task.

The volume of UGC is constantly increasing as more systems allow usersto create and edit new content. As the amount of UGC grows, the need toverify and validate the UGC grows as well. New methods for increasingthe performance and capacity of automatic UGC verification are needed.

In response to consumer demand, navigation systems are providingever-increasing amounts of information requiring these systems toimprove usability, performance, and accuracy. This information includesmap data, business data, local weather, and local driving conditions.The demand for more information and the need to provide user-friendlyexperience, low latency, and accuracy continue to challenge theproviders of navigation systems.

Thus, a need still remains for a navigation system to provide usergenerated content verification with improvement in usability,performance, and accuracy. In view of the ever-increasing commercialcompetitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and thediminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in themarketplace, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to theseproblems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficienciesand performance, and meet competitive pressures adds an even greaterurgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developmentshave not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to theseproblems have long eluded those skilled in the art.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method of operation of a navigationsystem including: receiving a change request with a proposed change foran item; verifying a validity of the change request based on aconfidence level meeting or exceeding a change threshold with a controlunit; and updating a target element of the item based on the validity ofthe proposed change for avoiding an incorrect update to the targetelement for displaying on a device.

The present invention provides a navigation system including: acontroller interface for receiving a change request; a verify changerequest module, coupled to the controller interface, for verifying thechange request of an item based on the validity of the proposed changefor avoiding an incorrect update to the target element; and an updateitem module, coupled to the controller interface, for updating thetarget element of the item based on the validity of the proposed changefor avoiding an incorrect update to the target element.

Certain embodiments of the invention have other steps or elements inaddition to or in place of those mentioned above. The steps or elementswill become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of thefollowing detailed description when taken with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a navigation system with UGC verification in a firstembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a first example of a display interface of the first device.

FIG. 3 is a second example of the display interface.

FIG. 4 is a third example of the display interface.

FIG. 5 is a fourth example of the display interface.

FIG. 6 is a fifth example of the display interface.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary block diagram of the first device.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary block diagram of a navigation system in a secondembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a navigation system in a third embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 is a detailed diagram of the verify change request module.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a method of operation of a navigation systemin a further embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The following embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enablethose skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments would be evident based on the presentdisclosure, and that system, process, or mechanical changes can be madewithout departing from the scope of the present invention.

In the following description, numerous specific details are given toprovide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it can beapparent that the invention can be practiced without these specificdetails. In order to avoid obscuring the present invention, somewell-known circuits, system configurations, and process locations arenot disclosed in detail.

The drawings showing embodiments of the system are semi-diagrammatic andnot to scale and, particularly, some of the dimensions are for theclarity of presentation and are shown exaggerated in the drawing FIGs.Similarly, although the views in the drawings for ease of descriptiongenerally show similar orientations, this depiction in the FIGs. isarbitrary for the most part. Generally, the invention can be operated inany orientation.

Where multiple embodiments are disclosed and described having somefeatures in common, for clarity and ease of illustration, description,and comprehension thereof, similar and like features one to another willordinarily be described with similar reference numerals. The embodimentshave been numbered first embodiment, second embodiment, etc. as a matterof descriptive convenience and are not intended to have any othersignificance or provide limitations for the present invention.

One skilled in the art would appreciate that the format with whichnavigation information is expressed is not critical to some embodimentsof the invention. For example, in some embodiments, navigationinformation is presented in the format of (X, Y), where X and Y are twoordinates that define the geographic location, i.e., a position of auser.

In an alternative embodiment, navigation information is presented bylongitude and latitude related information. In a further embodiment ofthe present invention, the navigation information also includes avelocity element comprising a speed component and a heading component.

The term “relevant information” referred to herein comprises thenavigation information described as well as information relating topoints of interest to the user, such as local business, hours ofbusinesses, types of businesses, advertised specials, trafficinformation, maps, local events, and nearby community or personalinformation.

The term “module” referred to herein can include software, hardware, ora combination thereof For example, the software can be machine code,firmware, embedded code, and application software. Also for example, thehardware can be circuitry, processor, computer, integrated circuit,integrated circuit cores, a pressure sensor, an inertial sensor, amicro-electromechanical system (MEMS), passive devices, or a combinationthereof

The term “navigation routing information” referred to herein is definedas the routing information described as well as information relating topoints of interest to the user, such as local business, hours ofbusinesses, types of businesses, advertised specials, trafficinformation, maps, local events, and nearby community or personalinformation.

The term “User Generated Content” (UGC) referred to herein is defined asthe routing information described as well as information relating topoints of interest to the user, such as local business, hours ofbusinesses, types of businesses, advertised specials, trafficinformation, maps, local events, and nearby community or personalinformation.

Referring now to FIG. 1, therein is shown is a navigation system 100with UGC verification in a first embodiment of the present invention.The navigation system 100 includes a first device 102, such as a clientor a server, connected to a second device 106, such as a client orserver, with a communication path 104, such as a wireless or wirednetwork.

For example, the first device 102 can be of any of a variety of mobiledevices, such as a cellular phone, personal digital assistant, anotebook computer, automotive telematic navigation system, or othermulti-functional mobile communication or entertainment device. The firstdevice 102 can be a standalone device, or can be incorporated with avehicle, for example a car, truck, bus, or train. The first device 102can couple to the communication path 104 to communicate with the seconddevice 106.

For illustrative purposes, the navigation system 100 is described withthe first device 102 as a mobile computing device, although it isunderstood that the first device 102 can be different types of computingdevices. For example, the first device 102 can also be a non-mobilecomputing device, such as a server, a server farm, or a desktopcomputer.

The communication path 104 can be a variety of networks. For example,the communication path 104 can include wireless communication, wiredcommunication, optical, ultrasonic, or the combination thereof Satellitecommunication, cellular communication, Bluetooth, Infrared DataAssociation standard (IrDA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), and worldwideinteroperability for microwave access (WiMAX) are examples of wirelesscommunication that can be included in the communication path 104.Ethernet, digital subscriber line (DSL), fiber to the home (FTTH), andplain old telephone service (POTS) are examples of wired communicationthat can be included in the communication path 104.

Further, the communication path 104 can traverse a number of networktopologies and distances. For example, the communication path 104 caninclude direct connection, personal area network (PAN), local areanetwork (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN)or any combination thereof.

The second device 106 can be any of a variety of centralized ordecentralized computing devices. For example, the second device 106 canbe a computer, grid computing resources, a virtualized computerresource, cloud computing resource, routers, switches, peer-to-peerdistributed computing devices, or a combination thereof.

The second device 106 can be centralized in a single computer room,distributed across different rooms, distributed across differentgeographical locations, embedded within a telecommunications network.The second device 106 can have a means for coupling with thecommunication path 104 to communicate with the first device 102. Thesecond device 106 can also be a client type device as described for thefirst device 102.

In another example, the first device 102 can be a particularizedmachine, such as a mainframe, a server, a cluster server, rack mountedserver, or a blade server, or as more specific examples, an IBM Systemz10™ Business Class mainframe or a HP ProLiant ML™ server. Yet anotherexample, the second device 106 can be a particularized machine, such asa portable computing device, a thin client, a notebook, a netbook, asmartphone, personal digital assistant, or a cellular phone, and asspecific examples, an Apple iPhone™, Palm Centro™, or Moto Q Global™.

For illustrative purposes, the navigation system 100 is described withthe second device 106 as a non-mobile computing device, although it isunderstood that the second device 106 can be different types ofcomputing devices. For example, the second device 106 can also be amobile computing device, such as notebook computer, another clientdevice, or a different type of client device. The second device 106 canbe a standalone device, or can be incorporated with a vehicle, forexample a car, truck, bus, or train.

Also for illustrative purposes, the navigation system 100 is shown withthe second device 106 and the first device 102 as end points of thecommunication path 104, although it is understood that the navigationsystem 100 can have a different partition between the first device 102,the second device 106, and the communication path 104. For example, thefirst device 102, the second device 106, or a combination thereof canalso function as part of the communication path 104.

Referring now to FIG. 2, therein is shown a first example of a displayinterface 202 of the first device 102. The display interface 202 canshow where a user attempts to create or update content, such asinformation about a point of interest 210. The user can create a changerequest 220 that can include new values for existing informationassociated with the point of interest 210.

For example, the point of interest 210 can be selected from an item list216. The item list 216 can represent a list containing the point ofinterest 210 that can be displayed and the point of interest 210selected by the user. The point of interest 210 can represent arestaurant, “Top Grill”, that has associated information elements 221.The associated information elements 221 can describe pieces of usergenerated content about the point of interest 210. The associatedinformation elements 221 can include a name 222, an address 224, a phonenumber 226, a burger rating 228, a hot dog rating 230, a drink rating232, or any combination thereof

In a further example, the change request 220 can have different fielddepending on different types of content, such as province or townshipsor unit number. The display interface 202 depicts the change request 220represented by data entry fields where new information can be entered.The display interface 202 can depict a previous location 212 and acurrent location 214 of the user.

Referring now to FIG. 3, therein is shown a second example of thedisplay interface 202. The display interface 202 can depict a firstchange request entry 302 representing a change to the burger rating 228to 6.

The first change request entry 302 can represent a potentialmodification of the burger rating 228 from 5 to 6. Because the totalnumber of changes to the burger rating 228 of 5 is only one, thenavigation system 100 of FIG. 1 can elect not verify the change of theburger rating 228. The details of verification are described later.

Referring now to FIG. 4, therein is shown a third example of the displayinterface 202. The display interface 202 can depict a second changerequest entry 402 representing different change to the burger rating 228to 4. The second change request entry 402 can also represent a change toone of the associated information elements 222, such as changing thephone number to “555-5555”.

The second change request entry 402 can represent a potentialmodification of the burger rating 228 to 4. Because the second changerequest entry 402 represents a total number of two changes of the burgerrating 228 from 5 to 4, the navigation system 100 can elect not verifythe change of the burger rating 228 from 5 to 4. The details ofverification are described in a later section.

The second change request entry 402 can also represent a potentialmodification of the phone number 226 to “555-5555”. Because the secondchange request entry 402 represents a total of one change of the phonenumber 226 to “555-5555”, the navigation system 100 can elect not verifythe change. The details of verification are described in a latersection.

Referring now to FIG. 5, therein is shown a fourth example of thedisplay interface 202. The display interface 202 can depict a thirdchange request entry 502 representing a further change to the burgerrating 228 to 5. The third change request entry 502 can also representanother change to the phone number 226 to “555-5555”.

The third change request entry 502 can represent a second change of theburger rating 228 to 6. Because the third change request entry 502represents a total of two changes of the burger rating 228 from 5 to 6,the navigation system 100 can verify the change of the burger rating 228from 5 to 6. The details of verification are described in a latersection.

The third change request entry 502 can represent a second change of thephone number 226 to “555-5555”. Because the third change request entry502 represents a total of two changes of the phone number 226 to“555-5555”, the navigation system 100 can elect not verify the change.The details of verification are described in a later section.

Referring now to FIG. 6, therein is shown a fifth example of the displayinterface 202. The display interface 202 can depict a fourth changerequest entry 602 representing a change to the burger rating 228 to 6.The fourth change request entry 602 can also represent a change to thephone number 226 to “555-5555”.

The fourth change request entry 602 can represent a third change of theburger rating 228 to 6. Because the fourth change request entry 602represents a total of three changes of the burger rating 228 from 5 to6, the navigation system 100 with UGC verification can verify the changeof the burger rating 228 from 5 to 6. The details of verification aredescribed in a later section.

The fourth change request entry 602 can represent a third change of thephone number 226 to “555-5555”. Because the fourth change request entry602 represents a total of three changes of the phone number 226 to“555-5555”, the navigation system 100 can verify the change. The detailsof verification are described in a later section.

Referring now to FIG. 7, therein is shown an exemplary block diagram ofthe first device 102. The first device 102 can include a user interface702, a storage unit 704, a location unit 706, a control unit 708, and acommunication unit 710.

The user interface 702 allows a user (not shown) to interface andinteract with the first device 102. The user interface 702 can includean input device and an output device. Examples of the input device ofthe user interface 702 can include a keypad, a touchpad, soft-keys, akeyboard, a microphone, or any combination thereof to provide data andcommunication inputs. Examples of the output device of the userinterface 702 can include the display interface 202. The displayinterface 202 can include a display, a projector, a video screen, aspeaker, or any combination thereof.

The control unit 708 can execute a software 712 to provide theintelligence of the navigation system 100. The control unit 708 canoperate the user interface 702 to display information generated by thenavigation system 100. The control unit 708 can also execute thesoftware 712 for the other functions of the navigation system 100,including receiving location information from the location unit 706. Thecontrol unit 708 can further execute the software 712 for interactionwith the communication path 104 of FIG. 1 via the communication unit710.

The control unit 708 can be implemented in a number of differentmanners. For example, the control unit 708 can be a processor, anembedded processor, a microprocessor, a hardware control logic, ahardware finite state machine (FSM), a digital signal processor (DSP),or a combination thereof.

The control unit 708 can include a controller interface 714. Thecontroller interface 714 can be used for communication between thecontrol unit 708 and other functional units in the first device 102. Thecontroller interface 714 can also be used for communication that isexternal to the first device 102.

The controller interface 714 can receive information from the otherfunctional units or from external sources, or can transmit informationto the other functional units or to external destinations. The externalsources and the external destinations refer to sources and destinationsexternal to the first device 102.

The controller interface 714 can be implemented in different ways andcan include different implementations depending on which functionalunits or external units are being interfaced with the controllerinterface 714. For example, the controller interface 714 can beimplemented with a pressure sensor, an inertial sensor, amicro-electromechanical system (MEMS), optical circuitry, waveguides,wireless circuitry, wireline circuitry, or a combination thereof.

The location unit 706 can generate location information, currentheading, and current speed of the first device 102, as examples. Thelocation unit 706 can be implemented in many ways. For example, thelocation unit 706 can function as at least a part of a globalpositioning system (GPS), an inertial navigation system, a cell-towerlocation system, a pressure location system, or any combination thereof.

The location unit 706 can include a location interface 716. The locationinterface 716 can be used for communication between the location unit706 and other functional units in the first device 102. The locationinterface 716 can also be used for communication that is external to thefirst device 102.

The location interface 716 can receive information from the otherfunctional units or from external sources, or can transmit informationto the other functional units or to external destinations. The externalsources and the external destinations refer to sources and destinationsexternal to the first device 102.

The location interface 716 can include different implementationsdepending on which functional units or external units are beinginterfaced with the location unit 706. The location interface 716 can beimplemented with technologies and techniques similar to theimplementation of the controller interface 714.

The storage unit 704 can store the software 712. The storage unit 704can also store the relevant information, such as messages, points ofinterest (POI), navigation routing entries, or any combination thereof.

The storage unit 704 can be a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, aninternal memory, an external memory, or a combination thereof Forexample, the storage unit 704 can be a nonvolatile storage such asnon-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), Flash memory, disk storage,or a volatile storage such as static random access memory (SRAM).

The storage unit 704 can include a storage interface 718. The storageinterface 718 can be used for communication between the location unit706 and other functional units in the first device 102. The storageinterface 718 can also be used for communication that is external to thefirst device 102.

The storage interface 718 can receive information from the otherfunctional units or from external sources, or can transmit informationto the other functional units or to external destinations. The externalsources and the external destinations refer to sources and destinationsexternal to the first device 102.

The storage interface 718 can include different implementationsdepending on which functional units or external units are beinginterfaced with the storage unit 704. The storage interface 718 can beimplemented with technologies and techniques similar to theimplementation of the controller interface 714.

The communication unit 710 can enable external communication to and fromthe first device 102. For example, the communication unit 710 can permitthe first device 102 to communicate with the second device 106 of FIG.1, an attachment, such as a peripheral device or a computer desktop, andthe communication path 104.

The communication unit 710 can also function as a communication huballowing the first device 102 to function as part of the communicationpath 104 and not limited to be an end point or terminal unit to thecommunication path 104. The communication unit 710 can include activeand passive components, such as microelectronics or an antenna, forinteraction with the communication path 104.

The communication unit 710 can include a communication interface 720.The communication interface 720 can be used for communication betweenthe communication unit 710 and other functional units in the firstdevice 102. The communication interface 720 can receive information fromthe other functional units or can transmit information to the otherfunctional units.

The communication interface 720 can include different implementationsdepending on which functional units are being interfaced with thecommunication unit 710. The communication interface 720 can beimplemented with technologies and techniques similar to theimplementation of the controller interface 714.

For illustrative purposes, the navigation system 100 is shown with thepartition having the user interface 702, the storage unit 704, thelocation unit 706, the control unit 708, and the communication unit 710although it is understood that the navigation system 100 can have adifferent partition. For example, the software 712 can be partitioneddifferently such that some or all of its function can be in the controlunit 708, the location unit 706, and the communication unit 710. Also,the first device 102 can include other functional units not shown inFIG. 7 for clarity.

The functional units in the first device 102 can work individually andindependently of the other functional units. The first device 102 canwork individually and independently from the second device 106 and thecommunication path 104.

The navigation system 100 can include the user interface 702 and thecontrol unit 708, coupled to the user interface 702. The navigationsystem 100 can include the location unit 706 and the control unit 708coupled to the location unit 706.

The navigation system 100 can include the storage unit 704 coupled tothe control unit 708. The navigation system can include thecommunication unit 710 coupled to the control unit 708.

Referring now to FIG. 8, therein is shown an exemplary block diagram ofa navigation system 800 in a second embodiment of the present invention.The navigation system 800 can include a first device 802, acommunication path 804, and a second device 806.

The first device 802 can communicate with the second device 806 over thecommunication path 804. For example, the first device 802, thecommunication path 804, and the second device 806 can be the firstdevice 102 of FIG. 1, the communication path 104 of FIG. 1, and thesecond device 106 of FIG. 1, respectively. The screen shot shown on thedisplay interface 202 described in FIG. 2 can represent the screen shotfor the navigation system 800.

The first device 802 can send information in a first device transmission808 over the communication path 804 to the second device 806. The seconddevice 806 can send information in a second device transmission 810 overthe communication path 804 to the first device 802.

For illustrative purposes, the navigation system 800 is shown with thefirst device 802 as a client device, although it is understood that thenavigation system 800 can have the first device 802 as a different typeof device. For example, the first device 802 can be a server.

Also for illustrative purposes, the navigation system 800 is shown withthe second device 806 as a server, although it is understood that thenavigation system 800 can have the second device 806 as a different typeof device. For example, the second device 806 can be a client device.

For brevity of description in this embodiment of the present invention,the first device 802 will be described as a client device and the seconddevice 806 will be described as a server device. The present inventionis not limited to this selection for the type of devices. The selectionis an example of the present invention.

The first device 802 can include a first control unit 812, a firststorage unit 814, a first communication unit 816, a first user interface818, and a location unit 820. The first device 802 can be similarlydescribed by the first device 102.

The first control unit 812 can include a first control interface 822.The first control unit 812 and the first control interface 822 can besimilarly described as the control unit 708 of FIG. 7 and the controllerinterface 714 of FIG. 7, respectively.

The first storage unit 814 can include a first storage interface 824.The first storage unit 814 and the first storage interface 824 can besimilarly described as the storage unit 704 of FIG. 7 and the storageinterface 718 of FIG. 7, respectively. A first software 826 can bestored in the first storage unit 814.

The first communication unit 816 can include a first communicationinterface 828. The first communication unit 816 and the firstcommunication interface 828 can be similarly described as thecommunication unit 710 of FIG. 7 and the communication interface 720 ofFIG. 7, respectively.

The first user interface 818 can include a first display interface 830.The first user interface 818 and the first display interface 830 can besimilarly described as the user interface 702 of FIG. 7 and the displayinterface 202 of FIG. 7, respectively.

The location unit 820 can include a location interface 832. The locationunit 820 and the location interface 832 can be similarly described asthe location unit 706 of FIG. 7 and the location interface 716 of FIG.7, respectively.

The performance, architectures, and type of technologies can also differbetween the first device 102 and the first device 802. For example, thefirst device 102 can function as a single device embodiment of thepresent invention and can have a higher performance than the firstdevice 802. The first device 802 can be similarly optimized for amultiple device embodiment of the present invention.

For example, the first device 102 can have a higher performance withincreased processing power in the control unit 708 compared to the firstcontrol unit 812. The storage unit 704 can provide higher storagecapacity and access time compared to the first storage unit 814.

Also for example, the first device 802 can be optimized to provideincreased communication performance in the first communication unit 816compared to the communication unit 710. The first storage unit 814 canbe sized smaller compared to the storage unit 704. The first software826 can be smaller than the software 712 of FIG. 7.

The second device 806 can be optimized for implementing the presentinvention in a multiple device embodiment with the first device 802. Thesecond device 806 can provide the additional or higher performanceprocessing power compared to the first device 802. The second device 806can include a second control unit 834, a second communication unit 836,and a second user interface 838.

The second user interface 838 allows a user (not shown) to interface andinteract with the second device 806. The second user interface 838 caninclude an input device and an output device. Examples of the inputdevice of the second user interface 838 can include a keypad, atouchpad, soft-keys, a keyboard, a microphone, or any combinationthereof to provide data and communication inputs. Examples of the outputdevice of the second user interface 838 can include a second displayinterface 840. The second display interface 840 can include a display, aprojector, a video screen, a speaker, or any combination thereof.

The second control unit 834 can execute a second software 842 to providethe intelligence of the second device 106 of the navigation system 800.The second software 842 can operate in conjunction with the firstsoftware 826. The second control unit 834 can provide additionalperformance compared to the first control unit 812 or the control unit708.

The second control unit 834 can operate the second user interface 838 todisplay information. The second control unit 834 can also execute thesecond software 842 for the other functions of the navigation system800, including operating the second communication unit 836 tocommunicate with the first device 802 over the communication path 804.

The second control unit 834 can be implemented in a number of differentmanners. For example, the second control unit 834 can be a processor, anembedded processor, a microprocessor, a hardware control logic, ahardware finite state machine (FSM), a digital signal processor (DSP),or a combination thereof.

The second control unit 834 can include a second controller interface844. The second controller interface 844 can be used for communicationbetween the second control unit 834 and other functional units in thesecond device 806. The second controller interface 844 can also be usedfor communication that is external to the second device 806.

The second controller interface 844 can receive information from theother functional units or from external sources, or can transmitinformation to the other functional units or to external destinations.The external sources and the external destinations refer to sources anddestinations external to the second device 806.

The second controller interface 844 can be implemented in different waysand can include different implementations depending on which functionalunits or external units are being interfaced with the second controllerinterface 844. For example, the second controller interface 844 can beimplemented with a pressure sensor, an inertial sensor, amicro-electromechanical system (MEMS), optical circuitry, waveguides,wireless circuitry, wireline circuitry, or a combination thereof.

A second storage unit 846 can store the second software 842. The secondstorage unit 846 can also store the relevant information, such asmessages, points of interest (POI), navigation routing entries, or anycombination thereof. The second storage unit 846 can be sized to providethe additional storage capacity to supplement the first storage unit814.

For illustrative purposes, the second storage unit 846 is shown as asingle element, although it is understood that the second storage unit846 can be a distribution of storage elements. Also for illustrativepurposes, the navigation system 800 is shown with the second storageunit 846 as a single hierarchy storage system, although it is understoodthat the navigation system 800 can have the second storage unit 846 in adifferent configuration. For example, the second storage unit 846 can beformed with different storage technologies forming a memory hierarchalsystem including different levels of caching, main memory, rotatingmedia, or off-line storage.

The second storage unit 846 can be a volatile memory, a nonvolatilememory, an internal memory, an external memory, or a combinationthereof. For example, the second storage unit 846 can be a nonvolatilestorage such as non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), Flash memory,disk storage, or a volatile storage such as static random access memory(SRAM).

The second storage unit 846 can include a second storage interface 848.The second storage interface 848 can be used for communication betweenthe location unit 706 and other functional units in the second device806. The second storage interface 848 can also be used for communicationthat is external to the second device 806.

The second storage interface 848 can receive information from the otherfunctional units or from external sources, or can transmit informationto the other functional units or to external destinations. The externalsources and the external destinations refer to sources and destinationsexternal to the second device 806.

The second storage interface 848 can include different implementationsdepending on which functional units or external units are beinginterfaced with the second storage unit 846. The second storageinterface 848 can be implemented with technologies and techniquessimilar to the implementation of the second controller interface 844.

The second communication unit 836 can enable external communication toand from the second device 806. For example, the second communicationunit 836 can permit the second device 806 to communicate with the firstdevice 802 over the communication path 804.

The second communication unit 836 can also function as a communicationhub allowing the second device 806 to function as part of thecommunication path 804 and not limited to be an end point or terminalunit to the communication path 804. The second communication unit 836can include active and passive components, such as microelectronics oran antenna, for interaction with the communication path 804.

The second communication unit 836 can include a second communicationinterface 850. The second communication interface 850 can be used forcommunication between the second communication unit 836 and otherfunctional units in the second device 806. The second communicationinterface 850 can receive information from the other functional units orcan transmit information to the other functional units.

The second communication interface 850 can include differentimplementations depending on which functional units are being interfacedwith the second communication unit 836. The second communicationinterface 850 can be implemented with technologies and techniquessimilar to the implementation of the second controller interface 844.

The first communication unit 816 can couple with the communication path804 to send information to the second device 806 in the first devicetransmission 808. The second device 806 can receive information in thesecond communication unit 836 from the first device transmission 808 ofthe communication path 804.

The second communication unit 836 can couple with the communication path804 to send information to the first device 802 in the second devicetransmission 810. The first device 802 can receive information in thefirst communication unit 816 from the second device transmission 810 ofthe communication path 804. The navigation system 800 can be executed bythe first control unit 812, the second control unit 834, or acombination thereof.

For illustrative purposes, the second device 106 is shown with thepartition having the second user interface 838, the second storage unit846, the second control unit 834, and the second communication unit 836,although it is understood that the second device 106 can have adifferent partition. For example, the second software 842 can bepartitioned differently such that some or all of its function can be inthe second control unit 834 and the second communication unit 836. Also,the second device 806 can include other functional units not shown inFIG. 8 for clarity.

The functional units in the first device 802 can work individually andindependently of the other functional units. The first device 802 canwork individually and independently from the second device 806 and thecommunication path 804.

The functional units in the second device 806 can work individually andindependently of the other functional units. The second device 806 canwork individually and independently from the first device 802 and thecommunication path 804.

For illustrative purposes, the navigation system 800 is described byoperation of the first device 802 and the second device 806. It isunderstood that the first device 802 and the second device 806 canoperate any of the modules and functions of the navigation system 800.For example, the first device 802 is described to operate the locationunit 820, although it is understood that the second device 806 can alsooperate the location unit 820.

Referring now to FIG. 9, therein is shown a navigation system 900 in athird embodiment of the present invention. The navigation system 900 canfacilitate the navigation to a location, such as a point of interest,and operate the display interface 202 of FIG. 2 by presenting navigationinformation for the point of interest. The navigation system 900 can beused to enter and update user generated content including a proposedchange 920 about the point of interest 210 of FIG. 2.

The navigation system 900 can be operated in several different ways. Forexample, the navigation system 900 can be included in and operated byrunning the software 712 of FIG. 7. As another example, the navigationsystem 900 can be partitioned between in and operated by running thefirst software 826 of FIG. 8, the second software 842 of FIG. 8, or acombination thereof

In the navigation system 900, as an example, each module is indicated bya number and successively higher module numbers follow one another.Control flow can pass from one module to the next higher numbered moduleunless explicitly otherwise indicated.

The navigation system 900 can receive the change request 220 of FIG. 2as a user input in a receive change request module 902. The receivechange request module 902 can receive the change request 220 when theuser enters the change request 220 and starts the process for verifyingand updating a particular piece of information about an item 932. Afterthe change request 220 has been successfully received, the control flowcan be transferred to a verify change request module 904.

The change request 220 can represent the proposed change 920 to revise atarget element 930 of the item 932. The proposed change 920 can consistof the name of an element of the item 932 to change and a proposed newvalue for that element. Receiving the change request 220 can include theselection of the item 932 and the entry of the change request 220 as aninput from the user.

For example, a user can select the item 932 representing the point ofinterest 210 of FIG. 2 from the item list 216 of FIG. 2. When the itemlist 216 is displayed, the user can select the point of interest 210that is desired by highlighting the item 932 in the item list 216. Theuser can then enter the change request 220 for the proposed change 920of the item 932. The receive change request module 902 can preparing thechange request 220 for further processing that will be described laterin this section.

In another example, the change request 220 can include the proposedchange 920 of the item 932 which can include a change in rating for ahamburger from 5 to 6 for the restaurant represented by the item 932. Inyet another example, the change request 220 can represent a revision inthe phone number from “555-1212” to “555-5555” of the entity representedby the item 932.

The item 932 can represent an entity that has the target element 930that can be changed. For example, the item 932 with the target element930 can include a point of interest with a geographical coordinate, ascenic location with a description, a restaurant with a burger rating, alandmark with directions, a store with opening hours, or any combinationthereof. The target element 930 can be associated with the item 932,such as an address of a restaurant, the geographical coordinates of alocation, the rating of a burger at the restaurant, or any combinationthereof.

The proposed change 920 of the change request 220 can represent the nameand value for the target element 930 of the item 932 that the user wantsto change. The proposed change 920 can include a proposed change name924 and a proposed change value 922.

The proposed change name 924 is the text that describes the proposedchange 920. For example, the proposed change name 924 for the item 932representing a restaurant can include “burger rating”, “address”,“phone”, or any combination thereof.

The proposed change value 922 can represent the text that describes theproposed change 920. For example, the proposed change value 922 for theitem 932 representing a restaurant can include “6”, “555 B Street”,“(800) 555-5555”, or any combination thereof.

For example, the proposed change 920 of the change request 220 canrepresent the case where the user wants to change of the burger ratingof a restaurant to 6. The item 932 can represent the restaurant, theproposed change name 924 can be “burger rating” and can represent thename of what is to be changed The proposed change value 922 can be “6”and can represent the value for the proposed change 920.

The target element 930 of the item 932 can represent the existinginformation that is associated with the item 932. The target element 930can include a target element name 1012 and a target element value 1010.The target element 930 of the item 932 can represent the sub-elements orproperties of the item 932. For example, the item 932 representing arestaurant can include the target element 930 such as name, address,phone, burger rating, hot dog rating, drink rating, or any combinationthereof.

The target element name 1012 is the text that describes the targetelement 930. For example, the target element name 1012 for the item 932representing a hotel can include “room rating”, “conference rating”, orany combination thereof.

The target element value 1010 is the current value for the targetelement 930 of the target element 930. For example, the target elementvalue 1010 for the target element name 1012 of “room rating” can be 9.

The navigation system 900 can verify a validity 944 of the changerequest 220 in the verify change request module 904. The validity 944 ofthe change request 220 that has been verified indicates that the changerequest 220 is considered correct. The validity 944 is verified bycalculating a confidence level 940 of the change request 220.

If the change request 220 is verified, then the validity 944 of thechange request 220 can be set to “true”. If the change request 220 isnot verified, then the validity 944 of the change request 220 can be setto “false”.

The verify change request module 904 can verify the validity 944 of thechange request 220 based on the confidence level 940 meeting orexceeding a change threshold 942. The confidence level 940 can becalculated using a variety of methods. A more detailed description ofthe functionality of the verify change request module 904 is providedlater.

The confidence level 940 of the change request 220 can indicate thelikelihood that the proposed change 920 is correct. For example, theconfidence level 940 can be calculated as the cumulative number of timesthat the change request 220 that is equivalent has been received. Thefirst time the change request 220 representing a change in burger ratingto 6 is received, total number of identical change requests is one. Thenext time the change request 220 representing a change in burger ratingto 6 is received, the total number of identical change request isincremented to two. This would indicate that the confidence level 940 ofthe change request 220 is two.

In another example, the change request 220 can be made by a user with auser status 1040 of ten. The confidence level 940 can be established bythe user status 1040, such as a trusted user, an administrator of thenavigation system 100, or a law enforcement official. The confidencelevel 940 can be calculated such that the weight of the change request220 can be multiplied by the user status 1040 of 10 resulting in aweighted value that is a factor of ten higher. If the confidence level940 of the change request 220 meets or exceeds the change threshold 942,then the change request 220 would be verified as validated.

The change threshold 942 can represent magnitude of the confidence level940 required for the change request 220 to be considered valid. Theconfidence level 940 can be compared against the change threshold 942 todetermine if the confidence level 940 is sufficient to verify that thechange request 220 is valid.

The change threshold 942 can vary based on a change request type 926 ofthe change request 220. The change request type 926 can describe theimportance of the target element 930 being addressed by the changerequest 220. The change request type 926 can represent a range of valuesfrom a simple change, requiring only the change threshold 942 of 1, to asignificant change, requiring the change threshold 942 have a highervalue, say 10 or more, to signify a valid change.

The target element 930 with a higher level of importance can require thechange threshold 942 to be higher. The change request type 926 canindicate if the proposed change 920 represents a simple change, such asa change in burger rating, or a more substantial change, such as thechange of an address or telephone number.

For example, the change threshold 942 for the rating of a burger can beset to a value such as two. If the change request 220 has the confidencelevel 940 of two or higher, then the change request 220 would beconsidered valid and the rating of the burger can be updated and changedto the new rating.

In another example, the change threshold 942 for the address of arestaurant can be set to a value such as ten. This would indicate that ahigher level of the confidence level 940 for the change request 220would be required to validate the change compared to the burger ratingexample. This could be represented by the situation where the changerequest 220 to change the address has been received by the navigationsystem 900 ten times.

The validity 944 of the change request 220 confirms that the proposedchange 920 is considered correct. The validity 944 of the change request220 can be determined by comparing the confidence level 940 to thechange threshold 942. If the confidence level 940 of the change request220 meets or exceeds the change threshold 942, then the validity 944 ofthe change request 220 is verified to be correct or true.

It has been discovered that the present invention provides thenavigation system 900 with user generated content mechanism forimproving the accuracy of changes and updates by verifying thecorrectness of user generated content. The navigation system 900 or theverify change request module 904 can increase the accuracy of verifyingthe validity 944 of the change request 220 by varying the changethreshold 942. This allowed a higher level of reinforcement for changesto information that is changed infrequently, such as an address ortelephone number.

The navigation system 900 can update the item 932 in an update itemmodule 906. If the change request 220 has been verified, then theproposed change 920 from the change request 220 is stored and replacesthe target element 930 of the item 932.

Updating the target element 930 of the item 932 replaces the targetelement 930 of the item 932 with the proposed change 920, if thevalidity 944 of the change request 220 has been verified. When the item932 has been updated, the target element 930 can be shared with otherusers of the navigation system 900.

For example, the change request 220 represents a change of the burgerrating at the restaurant from 5 to 6. If the change request 220 isverified, the target element 930 for the burger rating of 5 is replacedby an entry for 6. Once updated, the target element 930 for the burgerrating will be 6 and the information will be available to all users.

The navigation system 900 can display the information about the item 932in a display item module 908. When the item 932 is selected by the user,the target element 930 of the item 932 is presented on the displayinterface 202 of FIG. 2. Displaying the information can enable the userof the navigation system 900 to make a decision to navigate to thelocation represented by the item 932.

For example, the navigation system 900 can display the burger rating of6 for the restaurant represented by the item 932. If the burger ratingis acceptable to the user, then the user can select that location andthe navigation system 900 can calculate a route to the restaurantlocation. The user can operate the navigation system 900 and physicallynavigate to the restaurant.

The navigation system 900 can be implemented with the navigation system100 of FIG. 7. Each module of the navigation system 900 can beimplemented using a combination of functional modules of the firstdevice 102 of FIG. 7. For example, the navigation system 900 can beimplemented by running the software 712 of FIG. 7 on the control unit708 of FIG. 7.

The receive change request module 902 can be implemented with the firstdevice 102 of FIG. 1. The receive change request module 902 can beimplemented with the user interface 702 of FIG. 7, the control unit 708,the software 712, or a combination thereof

For example, the navigation system 900 can receive the change request220 entered by the user on the user interface 702. The user can selectthe item 932 from the item list 216 that is displayed on the userinterface 702 and then enter the change request 220 for the item 932that was selected from the item list 216.

The verify change request module 904 can be implemented with the firstdevice 102. The verify change request module 904 can be implemented withthe control unit 708, the software 712, the storage unit 704 of FIG. 7,or a combination thereof.

For example, the control unit 708 can verify the change request 220based on the validity 944 of the change request 220. The control unit708 can calculate the confidence level 940 and compare it to the changethreshold 942.

The update item module 906 can be implemented with the first device 102.The update item module 906 can be implemented with the control unit 708,the software 712, the storage unit 704, or a combination thereof Forexample, the control unit 708 can update the target element 930 of theitem 932 in the storage unit 704 with the proposed change 920 of thechange request 220.

The display item module 908 can be implemented with the first device102. The display item module 908 can be implemented with the controlunit 708, the software 712, the storage unit 704, the user interface702, or a combination thereof For example, the control unit 708, runningthe software 712, can display the item 932 on the display interface 202of FIG. 2 of the user interface 702. The user can view the item 932 onthe display interface 202 and decide to navigate to that location.

The navigation system 900 can be implemented with the navigation system800 of FIG. 8. Each module of the navigation system 900 can beimplemented using a combination of functional modules of the firstdevice 802 of FIG. 8 and the second device 806 of FIG. 8. For example,the navigation system 900 can be implemented by running the firstsoftware 826 of FIG. 8 on the first control unit 812 of FIG. 8 and thesecond software 842 of FIG. 8 on the second control unit 834 of FIG. 8.

The receive change request module 902 can be implemented with thenavigation system 800 of FIG. 8. The receive change request module 902can be implemented with the first user interface 818 of FIG. 8, thefirst control unit 812, the first software 826, the second userinterface 838, the second control unit 834, and the second software 842,or any combination thereof.

For example, the navigation system 900 can receive the change request220 entered by the user on the first user interface 818. The user canselect the item 932 from the item list 216 that is displayed on thefirst user interface 818.

The verify change request module 904 can be implemented with thenavigation system 800. The verify change request module 904 can beimplemented with the first control unit 812, the first software 826, thefirst storage unit 814 of FIG. 8, the second control unit 834, thesecond software 842, the second storage unit 846 of FIG. 8, or anycombination thereof

For example, the second control unit 834 running the second software 842can verify the validity 944 of the change request 220. The secondcontrol unit 834 can calculate the confidence level 940 and compare itto the change threshold 942.

The update item module 906 can be implemented with the navigation system800. The update item module 906 can be implemented with the firstcontrol unit 812, the first software 826, the first storage unit 814,the second control unit 834, the second software 842, the second storageunit 846, or any combination thereof. For example, the second controlunit 834 running the second software 842 can update the target element930 of the item 932 in the second storage unit 846 with the proposedchange 920 of the change request 220.

The display item module 908 can be implemented with the navigationsystem 800. The display item module 908 can be implemented with thefirst user interface 818, the first control unit 812, the first software826, the first storage unit 814, the first communication unit 816 ofFIG. 8, the second control unit 834, the second software 842, the secondstorage unit 846, the second communication unit 836 of FIG. 8, or anycombination thereof.

For example, the first control unit 812 running the first software 826can display the item 932 on the display interface 202 of FIG. 2 of thefirst user interface 818. The user can view the item 932 on the displayinterface 202 and decide to navigate to that location.

It has also been discovered that the present invention provides thenavigation system 900 with user generated content mechanism forimproving performance, increasing reliability, and reducing cost. Thenavigation system 900 can verify the validity 944 of the change request220 for user generated content, allowing faster updates to high volumeof the user generated content at a lower cost. In addition, usingmultiple instances of the change request 220 increases reliability byusing mutual reinforcement between the various numbers of the changerequest 220 to insure that the changes are correct.

The physical transformation of the change request 220 of the item 932 ofuser generated content can result in movement in the physical world,such as people or vehicles using the first device 102 of FIG. 1, basedon the operation of the navigation system 100 to navigate to the pointof interest represented by the item 932 with users having assurance thatthe posted user generated content has been verified. As the movement inthe physical world occurs, the movement itself creates additionalinformation that is converted back to the user generated content as thechange request 220 for the continued operation of the navigation system100 with UGC verification and to continue the movement in the physicalworld. The verification of user generated content, such as a menu itemrating, can enable to the user to decide to navigate to the point ofinterest.

The navigation system 900 describes the module functions or order as anexample. The modules can be partitioned differently. For example, theverify change request module 904 can be performed by executing thesoftware 712 of FIG. 7 with the control unit 708 of FIG. 7 in a singledevice configuration or by executing the first software 826 of FIG. 8with the first control unit 812 of FIG. 8 and executing the secondsoftware 842 of FIG. 8 on the second control unit 834 of FIG. 8 in a twodevice configuration. Each of the modules can operate individually andindependently of the other modules.

The navigation system 900 can be partitioned between the first device802 of FIG. 8 and the second device 806 of FIG. 8. For example, thenavigation system 900 can be partition into the functional units of thefirst device 802, the second device 806, or a combination thereof Thenavigation system 900 can also be implemented as additional functionalunits in the first device 102 of FIG. 1, the first device 802, thesecond device 806, or a combination thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 10, therein is shown a detailed diagram of theverify change request module 904. The verify change request module 904can determine if the change request 220 represents a valid change to thetarget element 930 of the item 932. This can include calculating thevalidity 944 of the change request 220 that can be used in the updateitem module 906 of FIG. 9.

The verify change request module 904 can include a compare proposedchange module 1002. The compare proposed change module 1002 candetermine if the change request 220 represents an update to existinginformation about the item 932 or if it represents a new piece ofinformation of the item 932. If the proposed change name 924 of thechange request 220 matches

The proposed change 920 of the change request 220 is compared to thetarget element 930 of the item 932 by matching the proposed change name924 to the target element name 1012 of the item 932. Although a singularthe target element name 1012 is described, it is understood that theitem 932 may possess multiple entries of the target element 930.

The proposed change name 924 and the target element name 1012 can bematched using a variety of methods. For example, the matching caninclude an exact match, an approximate match, or any combinationthereof.

An exact match can require that the proposed change name 924 ischaracter for character the same as the target element name 1012. Exactmatching can also allow a match in cases where there are minordifferences such as additional whitespace, capitalization mismatches,spacing differences, character set differences, abbreviations, acronyms,slang, or any combination thereof.

An approximate match can allow the proposed change name 924 to match tothe target element name 1012 when the names are similar. The approximatematch can be calculated in a variety of methods such as keywordmatching, statistical matching of the characters of the names, keywordsubstitution, calculation of a matching function, or any combinationthereof The approximate matching can also include translation fromdifferent languages.

If the proposed change name 924 of the change request 220 matches thetarget element name 1012 of the item 932, then the change request 220represents a potential modification to the target element 930 of theitem 932. Control can pass to a match change candidate module 1004.

If the proposed change name 924 of the change request 220 does not matchthe target element 930 of the item 932, then the change request 220 canbecome a new or different entry on a change candidate list 1020 of theitem 932. The change candidate list 1020 is a list of potentialmodifications to the target element 930 of the item 932 that have notbeen verified.

The change candidate list 1020 can include a first change candidate 1022that represents the change request 220 that did not match the targetelement 930 of the item 932. The potential modification to the targetelement 930 of the item 932 can represent the creation of a new thetarget element 930 of the item 932. Control can then pass to the updateitem module 906 of FIG. 9.

For example, if the proposed change name 924 is “burger rating” and theitem 932 includes the target element name 1012 of “burger rating”, thenthe proposed change 920 matches the target element 930. The changerequest 220 represents a potential modification to the target element930 and control can pass to the match change candidate module 1004.

In a further example, if the proposed change name 924 is “onion ringrating” and there is no the target element 930 with the target elementname 1012 of “onion ring rating”, then the change request 220 does notmatch. The change request 220 can become the first change candidate 1022on the change candidate list 1020 of the item 932. The first changecandidate 1022 can be created with the target element name 1012 set tothe proposed change name 924 “onion ring rating” and the target elementvalue 1010 set to the proposed change value 922. Control can pass to thematch change candidate module 1004.

The navigation system 900 can include the match change candidate module1004. The match change candidate module 1004 can determine if the changerequest 220 is equivalent to a change candidate entry 1030 in the changecandidate list 1020 for the item 932. The change candidate list 1020 canrepresent the previous potential modifications that have not beenverified. The change candidate entry 1030 can represent the changerequest 220 that was not previously verified.

The change request 220 can match the change candidate entry 1030 of thechange candidate list 1020 if the name and value of the proposed change920 of the change request 220 match the name and value of the changecandidate entry 1030. The proposed change name 924 can be compared to achange candidate name 1034 to see if they match. The proposed changevalue 922 can be compared to a change candidate value 1032 to see ifthey match. Matching both name and value for the proposed change 920 tothe name and value for the change candidate entry 1030 can indicate thatthe change request 220 matches the change candidate entry 1030. Thematching process can continue until all entries in the change candidatelist 1020 have been compared to the change request 220.

The change candidate name 1034 is the text that describes the changecandidate entry 1030. For example, the change candidate name 1034 forthe item 932 representing a restaurant can include “burger rating”,“address”, “phone”, or any combination thereof.

The change candidate value 1032 is the value that describes the changecandidate entry 1030. For example, the change candidate value 1032 forthe item 932 representing a restaurant can include “6”, “555 B Street”,555-5555″, or any combination thereof

If the change request 220 does not match the change candidate entry 1030of the change candidate list 1020, then the change request 220 canbecome identified as a new entry on the change candidate list 1020 ofthe item 932. The change candidate list 1020 can include a second changecandidate 1024 that represents the potential modification of the changerequest 220. The second change candidate 1024 can include the proposedchange name 924 and the proposed change value 922 of the change request220. Control can pass to the update item module 906 of FIG. 9.

If the change request 220 matches the change candidate entry 1030, thenthe change request 220 can represent another potential modification tothe target element 930 of the item 932. Control can pass to a calculateconfidence level module 1006.

For example, the change request 220 with the proposed change name 924 of“burger rating” and the proposed change value 922 of “6” can be comparedto the change candidate entry 1030 of the change candidate list 1020. Ifthe change candidate name 1034 is “burger rating”, but the changecandidate value is “5.5”, then the change request 220 will not match thechange candidate entry 1030 and the next entry in the change candidatelist 1020 can be tested.

If the change request 220 does not match any of the entries in thechange candidate list 1020, then the change request 220 does not matchand the change request 220 can become the change candidate entry 1030with change candidate name “burger rating” and the change candidatevalue of “6”.

In another example, the change request 220 with the proposed change name924 of “burger rating” and the proposed change value 922 of “6” can becompared to the change candidate entry 1030 of the change candidate list1020. If the change candidate name 1034 is “burger rating” and thechange candidate value is “6”, then the change request 220 can match thechange candidate entry 1030. If a match is identified, then control canpass to the update item module 906 of FIG. 9.

The navigation system 900 can include the calculate confidence levelmodule 1006. The calculate confidence level module 1006 can determinethe confidence level 940 of the change request 220 based on the numberof previous matching changes.

The confidence level 940 of the change request 220 can indicate thelikelihood that the proposed change 920 of the change request 220 iscorrect. The confidence level 940 can be calculated using a variety ofmethods.

For example, the confidence level 940 can be calculated as thecumulative number of times that the change candidate entry 1030 has beenreceived. The first time the change request 220 representing a change inburger rating to 6 is received, the total number of the change candidateentry 1030 is one. The next time the change request 220 representing achange in burger rating to 6 is received, the total number of the changecandidate entry 1030 is incremented to two.

In another example, the confidence level 940 can be calculated as thesum of weighted values where the change request 220 has a weighing valuedetermined by the user status 1040 of the user making the change request220. The user status 1040 can allow some users to have a greater effectwhen they make the change request 220. Users with the user status 1040that is considered “high” can include power users, administrators,moderators, subscribed users, users with a history of accurate actions,or any combination thereof

In yet another example, the confidence level 940 can be calculated asthe sum of weighted values where the change request 220 has a weightedvalue determined by a time interval 1042 between the change request 220and the change candidate entry 1030 being at or below a time intervalthreshold 1044. Calculating the confidence level 940 based on the timeinterval 1042 can allow the change request 220 to have a greater effecton the confidence level 940 if it closely follows the change candidateentry 1030 in time.

The time interval threshold 1044 can represent an amount of time wheretwo equivalent changes made one after another would not increase thelikelihood that the change was correct. If the change request 220 ismade before the time interval threshold 1044 expires, then there is ahigher likelihood that the change request 220 is valid.

If the time interval 1042 between the change request 220 and the changecandidate entry 1030 is 10 minutes and the time interval threshold 1044is 30 minutes, then the weighted value for the change request 220 can beset to 100. If the time interval 1042 between the change request 220 andthe change candidate entry 1030 is 40 minutes and the time intervalthreshold 1044 is 30 minutes, then the weighted value for the changerequest 220 can be set to 0. Thus, the confidence level 940 can becalculated by summing up the weighed values and result in a more likelychange when the change request 220 occurs at or before the time intervalthreshold 1044.

It has been discovered that the present invention provides thenavigation system 900 with user generated content mechanism for improvedflexibility. The calculate confidence level module 1006 provides theimproved flexibility by using a variety of methods to calculate theconfidence level 940. By calculating the confidence level 940 using avariety of methods, the navigation system 900 can determine the validity944 of the change request 220 for the item 932 and verify the usergenerated content in the real world.

The navigation system 900 can include a calculate validity module 1008.The calculate validity module 1008 can determine if the change request220 is valid by comparing the confidence level 940 of the change request220 to the change threshold 942.

The validity 944 of the change request 220 can be calculated bycomparing the confidence level 940 of the change request 220 to thechange threshold 942. If the confidence level 940 meets or exceeds thechange threshold 942, then the change request 220 is considered validand the validity 944 is set to “true”.

If the confidence level 940 is below the change threshold 942, then thechange request 220 is not considered valid and the validity 944 is setto “false”. The change request 220 can become an entry on the changecandidate list 1020 of the item 932. The change candidate list 1020 caninclude a third change candidate 1026 that represents the potentialmodification to the target element 930 of the item 932. The third changecandidate 1026 can include the proposed change name 924 of the changerequest 220 and the proposed change value 922 of the change request 220.Control can pass to the update item module 906 of FIG. 9.

The change threshold 942 can vary based on the change request type 926of the change request 220. The change request type 926 can indicate ifthe proposed change 920 represents a simple change, such as a change inburger rating, or a more substantial change, such as the change of anaddress or telephone number.

For example, the change threshold 942 for the rating of a burger can beset to a value such as two. If the change request 220 has the confidencelevel 940 of two or higher, then the change request 220 would beconsidered valid and the rating of the burger would be updated and setto the new rating.

In another example, the change threshold 942 for the address of arestaurant can be set to a value such as ten. This would indicate that ahigher level of the confidence level 940 for the change request 220would be required to validate the change. This could be represented bythe situation where the change request 220 to change the address hasbeen received by the navigation system 900 ten times.

Referring now to FIG. 11, therein is shown a flow chart of a method 1100of operation of the navigation system 100 in a further embodiment of thepresent invention. The method 1100 includes receiving a change requestwith a proposed change for an item in a block 1102; verifying a validityof the change request based on a confidence level meeting or exceeding achange threshold with a control unit in a block 1104; and updating atarget element of the item based on the validity of the proposed changefor avoiding an incorrect update to the target element for displaying ona device in a block 1106.

The resulting method and system is straightforward, cost-effective,uncomplicated, highly versatile, accurate, sensitive, and effective, andcan be implemented by adapting known components for ready, efficient,and economical manufacturing, application, and utilization.

Another important aspect of the present invention is that it valuablysupports and services the historical trend of reducing costs,simplifying systems, and increasing performance. These and othervaluable aspects of the present invention consequently further the stateof the technology to at least the next level.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specificbest mode, it is to be understood that many alternatives, modifications,and variations can be apparent to those skilled in the art in light ofthe aforegoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace allsuch alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within thescope of the included claims. All matters hithertofore set forth hereinor shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted in anillustrative and non-limiting sense.

1. A method of operation of a navigation system comprising: receiving a change request with a proposed change for an item; verifying a validity of the change request based on a confidence level meeting or exceeding a change threshold with a control unit; and updating a target element of the item based on the validity of the proposed change for avoiding an incorrect update to the target element for displaying on a device.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein receiving a change request includes selecting the item for the change request from an item list.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising varying the change threshold for increasing an accuracy of verifying the validity.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein verifying the validity of the change request based on the confidence level includes calculating the confidence level based on a user's status.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein verifying the validity the change request based on the change confidence level includes calculating the confidence level based on a time interval between the change request and a change candidate entry meeting or being below a time interval threshold.
 6. A method of operation of a navigation system comprising: receiving a change request with proposed change for an item; verifying a validity of the change request matching a change candidate entry in a change candidate list based on a confidence level meeting or exceeding a change threshold with a control unit; and updating a target element of the item based on the validity of the proposed change for avoiding an incorrect update to the target element for displaying on a device.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein verifying the validity of the change request includes varying the change threshold based on a change request type to differentiate between potential modifications requiring more correlation between multiple changes.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising matching the change request to the change candidate entry including: matching a proposed change name to a change candidate name; and matching a proposed change value to a change candidate value.
 9. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising matching the change request to the change candidate entry includes identifying the change request as a change candidate entry based on the proposed change name not previously existing in the change candidate list.
 10. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising matching the change request to the target element of the item includes matching the proposed change name to the target element name based on the exact match of the proposed change name and the target element name.
 11. A navigation system comprising: a controller interface for receiving a change request; a verify change request module, coupled to the controller interface, for verifying the change request of an item based on the validity of the proposed change for avoiding an incorrect update to the target element; and an update item module, coupled to the controller interface, for updating the target element of the item based on the validity of the proposed change for avoiding an incorrect update to the target element.
 12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the controller interface is for receiving a change request based on selecting the item for the change request for an item list.
 13. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the verify change request module is for varying the change threshold for increasing an accuracy of verifying the validity.
 14. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the verify change request module is for calculating the confidence level based on the user's status.
 15. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the verify change request module is for calculating a change confidence level based on a time interval between a change request and a change candidate entry below a time interval threshold.
 16. The system as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a match change candidate module, coupled to the controller interface, for matching the change request to the change candidate entry of the change candidate list.
 17. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the match change candidate module for verifying the validity of the change request includes varying the change threshold based on the change request type to differentiate between changes requiring more correlation between multiple changes.
 18. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the match change candidate module for matching the change request to the change candidate entry includes: matching a proposed change name to a change candidate name; and matching a proposed change value to a change candidate value.
 19. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the match change candidate module is for identifying the change request as a change candidate entry based on the proposed change name not previously existing in the change candidate list.
 20. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the match change candidate module, coupled to the controller interface, for matching the change request to the target element of the item includes matching the proposed change name to the target element name based on the exact match of the proposed change name and the target element name. 